Prospect in San Francisco get a load of peach fry pie ($9.50) — little pies fried up crisp with a filling of Blossom Bluff peaches, then garnished with raspberries, tayberries and Bavarian buttermilk ice cream.

Traditionalists will revel in the apple pie with brandied cherries and cheddar tuille ($10) at Epic Roasthouse in San Francisco.

French Laundry and Per Se Launch “Experience Cards”

These may very well be the ultimate gift cards.

No longer will Thomas Keller’sFrench Laundry in Yountville and Per Se in New York issue issue plain ol’ gift certificates made of paper. Nope, now you can purchase “Experience Cards,” made of sleek metal and sent in an elegant bow-wrapped box.

Geared for two people to dine, the cards allow for dinner with extras. The normal French Laundry prix fixe is $270 per person. But with the silver card ($750), dinner for two begins with a glass of champagne, followed by a nine-course chef’s tasting menu or “tasting of vegetables.” The gold card ($1,500) includes all of that, plus a selection of canapes and personalized service from the team of sommeliers. The black card ($2,500) includes all of that, plus a more extensive array of canapes, exclusive wines customized by the sommeliers, and a special gift at the end of the meal.

Per Se offers similar cards: silver ($800), gold ($1,550), and black ($2,500), as well as the salon one ($250) for a la carte dining in the salon.

Of course, being the fortunate recipient of one of those glam cards doesn’t necessarily make it any easier to dine there. You still have to land a reservation at either restaurant, never an easy feat.

10 comments

Oooh those hand pies are making me hungry. They are adorable and now I want to bake a pie. And wow who pays that for a dinner… okay, so we did pay about $450 for dinner for two and that was only with a half bottle of wine (we had to drive)… but $750, $1550 or $2500? Wow. Now if I was invited…

Oh my Carolyn! I really love how these pies look!! So delicious! Yay for summer and cheaper fruits!! I can’t wait to make more fruit pies! Gotta start looking into some yummy recipes! Thanks for the beautiful inspiration my dear! 🙂

I’ve driven by that Sand Hill resort so many times and I was always so curious to stop in. Now you’ve done me in!! Those pies are gorgeous. I just made a peach pie, and with all the amazing farmers market fruit lately, I might be on a new pie kick. I love the idea of making mini ones instead. That would be something new for me!